NEW YORK CITY: The Foundry Theatre has announced that after 25 years of producing theatre, it will close. The company will officially close on Nov. 4, with a party timed to the release of A Moment on the Clock of the World, a book detailing the company’s productions and practices.
“We’re closing not because of money or any other trouble, but rather because we wanted to end on a high note, and to watch the Foundry’s mission unfold anew in the hands of those who have been mentored and inspired by the Foundry,” said founder Melanie Joseph in a statement. Though in the 2017-18 season, the Foundry did suspend operations and has not produced since. Its last production was W. David Hancock’s Master in 2017.
In its 25-year history, the Foundry’s productions earned the company 14 Obie Awards. It differentiated itself from other companies by also having a robust social justice and community organizing component to its work. For instance, in 2011, the Foundry collaborated with members of Families United for Racial and Economic Equality to adapt the 1937 musical Pins & Needles. Its other notable productions include Good Person of Szechwan starring Taylor Mac ,and the world premiere of The Brothers Size by Tarell Alvin McCraney (which was his professional debut). The theatre was also known for placing breakdowns of its production budget, including what its artists were paid, in the program for each show—a outlier in an industry where compensation is discussed behind closed doors.
A Moment on the Clock of the World, which takes its title from a quote by activist and philosopher Grace Lee Boggs, will feature interviews with artists and thought leaders including Mac, Cornel West, Alisa Solomon, and Lear deBessonet.
